Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-12-25


warmth; and then a faintness came
over him, the result of all he had under
gone-anxiety, WEAKNESS, dread, and
lack OF that sufficient reposs so necessary
for the young; but now sleep-the sole
luxury of the poor and the toll worn-in-
duced by comparative comfort, came upon
Dick, and his dog crept close beside him.
l. He must have lain thus fer some hoGrs.
When full consciousness returned, he
knew not what the time was, whether
midnight or the cary winter morning !;
bat the short dsy hsd evidently passed,
and complete darkness set in.
he knew perfectly where he was, bu:
lsy still, feeling, the while, every limit
stiff and sore1 and it was something like
q miracle that fever did not attack him.
He was about to doze eff again when be
was reused by the vehement yelping Of
Bingo, whom he found affectionately lick
ing his hands and face; and then the more
furious barking Of the dog thoroughly
aroused him.
A red, hszy light dashed along the loft
in which he lay, showing the bare snd
cobwebby rafters above, the piled straw
below, and couple Of men making their
way, toward him, one armed with 8
double oarrelled gun and the other with
pitchfork TIE first, by his costume,
appeared TO be farmer, in shooting coat,
ample waistcost and long CATERS, fat,
coy and weli-to-do looking; the other q
shock-hesded yokel in -breeches,
hob-Dailed shoes, and the inevitable
smock frock, which, as it is the attire CT
the Norman peasants, probably came into
England with her coDquereTs.
"Come, tumble up" cried the farmer,
sEgrilY. Chow many more of you are
there among that straw?"
A great alarm fell upon Dick, and all
his spirit had departed now. Tears
started 10 his eyes again, as he thought
of Melsnie and his poor lame brother,
both so loving and tender.
eyes," he muttered; 81 shall be muir
dered now, suppose, and no one will
hear of it-how or where?"
Tumble up and to6dIe out, 1 say!"
cried the farmer again, striking the butt
end of his gun on the floor. "You are
one Of those rascally tramps that steal my
hens and set my barns & fire by smoking
among the hay and straw. Of with you
all, or shall summon the police!"
"All?-I am here alone, sir" said
Dick, staggering up with difficulty, and
hslf-blinded by the glare of the lantern
held before his eyes.
"There amt no more than this boy,
Mr. Mopps," ssid the yokel, after peeripg
about and prodding the straw with his
pitchfork.
"Wbere do you come froH-who are
your friends, you young warmint?'
ooh, sir" said Dick, now almost in
capable of standing, "do be kind, please;
[ have neither father Tor mother nor
home"
This broke down the indignation of the
farmer, who of late had suffered much
from the depredations Of "tramps," IS he
called them, who bad robbed his hen
roosts, and fred his hayricks more than
once by the reckless use Of lighted match
ee; hUt he was kind hearted man and
saw that the boy, If pale, sorely tagged
and "seedy" in aspect, vas hsLdscme
one, with crisp golden hair, and honest,
fearless blue eyes.
"Come down from this place spd let US
have a look at you," said he, 10th to be-
come too pitiiul suddenly; and Dick toll
lowed him from the loft down the ladder,
into the keen air Of the winter evening,
where he fell in heap, half lifeless on the
ground.
"Wifei wifei look herer' cried Farmer
Mopps, in great dismay, IS he carried
Dick into the kitchen and set him In 8
chair near the fire.
"Oh, NANNY" cried little girl, peep
ing fearfully at him, "this is the boy-the
boy who pulled me out Of the water!'
"And who ran away Def re could thank
him." exclaimed the farmers wife. $50
he is, John-the same boy-poor child,
he locks like death"
"Dang it," cried the farmer, ''is this
the case? Was it you that saved my little
lass from the duck pon6?"
But Dick was past responding; he
could only gasp an assent, while the
smaller children gathered round MIN in
fesr and wonder, but the unwonted
warmth brought back circulation, life and
energy 10 Dick quickly now, amid the
many comforts of the spacious farm
kitchen.
Long before the present time, the farm
house had been q manor, and hence was
huge, ram bling, struggling aud very
quaint, but very comfortable. There were
spacious old Wainscotted parlors, where
many glass OF old port had been drunk
to "the king over the water, and the con-
fusion of ell Hanover rsts," and where
the squires of the past had bupg their
swords, their whips and their hunting
gear, but were now used IS storage rooms
for bacon and apples, potatoes and lum-
Der.
The family of Farmer Mopps, it would
sppear, were just about so sup when
Bingo's barking had sounded an alarm
and drawn attention to the supposed
tramp in the strsw-l0!t.
A fire blsZed up the spacious chimney,
which was lined by old blue Delft tiles;
the red brick q Der was closely swept AND
slightly ssnded, yet not g foot-step had
marred it's perfect cleapness and neat
ness; snow white cloth covered the
heavy osken table, and thereon were tea
and hot cakes for the children, cold beef,
pie, and tsnksrd OF brown October fer
the farmer. So ere long Dick found him
self in clover, thoroughly renovated, and
in the eyes of the old couple, the little
hero of the house, Gs the saver OF their
eldest daughter from the depths of the
duck pond.
On being questioned about himself, he
became unusually reserved for his years,
and passing over his military aspirations
and the episode connected there with, he
only stated that he had run away from
home in consequence of i'll treatment ;aDd
received the unpalatsble advice that 1t
was his duty to return to that home at
once, wherever It was.
Burly Farmer Mopps was full of fun
and jollity, and sung merrily to his
youngest child, who crowed upon his
knee. Among other ditties was one
<o1 h L.